


It's Not Unfounded

by goodbyekillingharmony



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness & Explorers of Sky
Genre: Doubt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness & Explorers of Sky Spoilers, Post-Canon, Regret, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28630209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodbyekillingharmony/pseuds/goodbyekillingharmony
Summary: And now, he was left alone. Grovyle continued to wander this seemingly new world. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed, however, and after a while, he turned around, eyes widening when he saw how large the figure was, but realizing quickly afterward just who exactly that was. He let out a sigh of relief, feeling a tang annoyed."Dusknoir… What's with the hesitation? Why were you following me?"Even if Grovyle had a good understanding of the other Pokémon's behavior now, at a first glance, it was fairly difficult to tell just what exactly was going on in his mind, let alone what the other's intentions were. He tried to look for an answer, quickly dropping that train of thought when he realized he was going to have to ask for it.
Relationships: Juptile | Grovyle/Yonoir | Dusknoir, Juptile | Grovyle/Yonoir | Dusknoir (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	It's Not Unfounded

**Author's Note:**

> tl;dr grovyle comforts dusknoir
> 
> mystery dungeon fans come get y'all juice

The journey back from Temporal Tower was no easy feat. Even if things were changing for the better, remnants of the past still lingered. Keeping a watchful eye over Celebi, she reassured Grovyle that she would be fine on her own, saying she needed to check up on a few more things, to admire the beauty of the new dawn, so she said. Though hesitant at first, after enough convincing, Grovyle waved Celebi off, a soft smile present on his face, even if he was still a bit worried.

And now, he was left alone. Grovyle continued to wander this seemingly new world. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed, however, and after a while, he turned around, eyes widening when he saw how large the figure was, but realizing quickly afterward just who exactly that was. He let out a sigh of relief, feeling a tang annoyed.

"Dusknoir… What's with the hesitation? Why were you following me?"

Even if Grovyle had a good understanding of the other Pokémon's behavior now, at a first glance, it was fairly difficult to tell just what exactly was going on in his mind, let alone what the other’s intentions were. He tried to look for an answer, quickly dropping that train of thought when he realized he was going to have to ask for it. 

"Where were you headed off to, anyway?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I'm not going to waste my time answering something so pointless."

"Humph. Fine. Don't expect me to answer yours either, then."

"Don't be difficult, Grovyle."

"You're one to talk."

The two continued walking in silence. Grovyle mostly kept his head down, trying to not let his giddiness overtake him, but it was hard. Knowing that this was his land, a place he knew so well; it was so beautiful, he had no idea! Not just the sunrise, but everything that was an after product of that. The blades of grass and the dew glistening upon them. The gentle wind howling, masking the sounds of everything else as the planet all gradually came together… It was a miracle and even that word seemed to be too small of a statement. It was something grand, bold, something that couldn't be explained with words.

It overrode Grovyle's better judgment as he, with an almost, skip to his step, got to touching and smelling each little nook and cranny he could find, admiring it to its fullest. Almost forgetting just who exactly he was with. Unfortunately for him, there's just one other being here who wouldn't let him forget it.

"It's breathtaking, isn't it? Though I suppose I shouldn't be telling that to you."

Grovyle immediately stopped what he was doing, his cheeks slightly flushed pink. This was embarrassing, though he figured it wasn't so bad. At least it wasn't in front of Celebi or anything; it was in front of Dusknoir.

He… wasn't quite sure what their relationship was. Should he ask? Or was that something far too inappropriate to ask, but Grovyle was always the curious type. Did Dusknoir still despise him? Were they friends? ... _ No. It couldn't be that, either. _ He let his mind wandering, standing in front of the ghost type with his mind preoccupied with other things.

"Grovyle?" That seemed to snap him back to reality rather quickly, blinking a few times, Grovyle returned Dusknoir's harsh gaze.

"Y-Yes? What is it?"

"Don't waste your time debating with yourself over such pointless things."

"What?!"

"Your inner conflict will only worsen if you keep thinking about it. ...Stop it."

"Humph. Don't think you can boss me around again, Dusknoir. Not after what you've done."

"Don't misinterpret my intentions, Grovyle. Don't ruin my new solicited trust in you."

"Feels weird hearing you admit to something like that. Guess it helps a little bit."

"Why don't you tell me then? What do you think we are?"

"Not really an easy thing to answer, Dusknoir. I meant it when I said I trusted you, no matter what. I don't think there's a thing you can do to change my mind, especially not after you've proven yourself. It's not a thing that I'm meant to--"

"Don't say anymore. That's all I needed to hear." Dusknoir shifted his head to the side, trying to hide…  _ the faintest of smiles! _ Grovyle was observant, however, feeling his heartbeat grow larger at that… meaningless gesture?  _ No! _ He mustn't think like that. For someone like Dusknoir, it could mean a lot of things; something as simple as smiling. However, he couldn't sense any bad intentions with that. It seemed to be the real deal.

"What about you?" Yeah, maybe him rushing out his sentence was a little too… forward for him, but his impatience was getting to him.

"I consider you an invaluable ally. I didn't think I would have to explain it to you."

"Hearing… it from you means something else, Dusknoir. Not that I expected you to know, anyway."

"Well, do I have to say it again?"

"Don't act so ignorant. You won't succeed in mocking me."

"Always the defensive type, aren't you?"

"Not by choice. You know that."

"I think I've gotten to know you a bit too well."

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing, Dusknoir."

The air had become heavier, and as much as Grovyle didn’t want to admit it, he had been on edge. As much as he did trust Dusknoir, as soon as he wasn’t able to read the other Pokemon, he went on the defensive. It wasn’t fair to the ghost type, he knew that fact, and yet he couldn’t deny the tension in the air. But, just was it exactly? Even he wasn’t sure. 

The two continued on their way, Grovyle stuck in awe at the scenery around him. It was a lot to take in, after all. He felt Dusknoir’s presence behind him and he noticed a shift. It was so much calmer now, a feeling of relaxation ever so present in the air. A definite oddity in Grovyle’s mind, one he would not let go of without proper analysis; first things first, hear from the Pokemon himself. Grovyle stopped dead in his tracks, Dusknoir following close after.

“What is it?” Oddly enough, the ghost type didn’t sound annoyed. Concern enveloped his tone; it was baffling. 

“What? Don’t tell me I have to explain myself now, too. I think we both know why I stopped.”

“Stop assuming I know exactly what’s going on in your mind. I don’t, believe it or not.”  _ Gah! _ He was doing this on purpose! He could sense the smugness radiating from a mile away. Grovyle usually wouldn’t let this blatant sense of mockery get the better of him, but his own curiosity once again had gotten the better of him. It was better for him to admit defeat, even if he will never outwardly say it to the other Pokemon’s face.

“Y’know if you stopped acting this weird we could have been on our merry way right about now, Dusknoir. But, if you want my honest answer, I’ll give you just that. I don’t get what your deal is right now and that’s been bothering me the entire trip. It’s like you’re purposefully blocking away something from me.”

“...That’s it? That’s what’s been causing your abnormal behavior?”

“Humph. If you noticed me acting weird, you should have said something.”

“You’re not entitled to my thoughts, Grovyle. Especially since you waited this long to say something, as well.”

“At least I brought it up--”

“What exactly do you think it is I’m hiding from you?”

Grovyle was taken aback. Still not used to Dusknoir’s rather blunt demeanor, he wasn’t expecting to be put on the spot like this. If he was honest, he couldn’t really answer that question. It wasn’t something that could easily be put into words. He let out a sigh. He had found himself at an impasse, with the only way out of it being-- This really was turning out to be a long day.

“Do you still despise me?” The frown on his face was present. He wasn’t sure what to think anymore and yet he had to be sure. You could respect someone even while hating them, a philosophy he’s known his whole life, living in a world of nothing but darkness and despair. But, was that where the road would stop? At hatred? He needed to be sure.

“I thought I did.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“I can’t give you an answer, I’m not sure myself. We were enemies up until a few hours ago. It…  _ wouldn’t be fair to you, the answer that I would give you. Not after everything that I’ve done. _ ”

“Dusknoir…!”

“You have Celebi, right? Stop trying to attach yourself to me. I can’t undo the things that I’ve done, even if I have let go of my regrets. Not this soon, anyway.”

“Don’t let this be the thing that deters you from following this new path, Dusknoir. You know the reason why I stayed, the reason why I told you the things that I did; never once for a moment did I not believe in you.”

“Even I could tell that my presence unnerved you a great amount. Don’t make this harder for yourself, Grovyle. Don’t continue deluding yourself. I’m… not the type of Pokemon you need.”

“And that right there is why I’m staying. Even if you don’t realize it yourself, that doesn’t mean others can’t see it for themselves. Your words carry more meaning than you think, they’re not empty. Trust me when I say that I want to stick by your side, Dusknoir.” 

Though he wasn’t completely sure how deep his words dug into Dusknoir’s own being, Grovyle figured he must convey it in other ways, as well. Reaching out his hand, he held it in front of the other Pokemon. Closing his eyes, he was expecting another tirade of words Grovyle wouldn’t even acknowledge, ready to come up with a rebuttal for each and every one of the ghost type’s assertions. What he didn’t expect, however, was for Dusknoir to hold his hand in his own, even if Grovyle’s sharp claws had a high chance of injuring the other, he didn’t seem to care.

“I hope your belief in me isn’t misguided.” Dusknoir’s voice was softer, meeker, and more vulnerable than it had been previously. 

“It isn’t. I’m sure of my own convictions. Don’t you worry, I’ll be there with you, every step of the way.”

“Didn’t take you for the sentimental type, however, not to this extent, at least.” Grovyle was astounded on how… comforting Dusknoir’s laughter could be without it being laced with malice. Something so genuine; it was a rare sight. The grass type couldn’t help but smile at that. 

“Humph. Says the one who’s squeezing my hand right about now.”

Grovyle’s own playful laughter joined Dusknoir’s. It was something Grovyle had not experienced in a while. The last time was when his old partner was with him,  _ just how long ago was that? How long had it been since he was able to properly take something like this in? _ ...I guess there was always a first time for everything. Didn’t expect it to be with Dusknoir, though. They remained like that for a short while, before continuing back. They both had a lot of work to do. 

The tension had melted away entirely, the fresh breeze of a proper new day traveling through the air. He figured Celebi would appreciate the headstart he was giving her, but even so… Dusknoir, of all Pokemon, huh? Even the mere thought of that brought endless amounts of amusements for the grass type, though it was rooted in a deep-seated trust he had for the other being, willing to stick with him until the very end. Grovyle wasn’t sure about a lot of things yet, but that was something he could truly believe in.

“Dusknoir?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad I’ll have the chance to work with you again…  _ partner.” _

**Author's Note:**

> instagram: @trubonny


End file.
